1) Despite the rain we’ve had almost every weekend since February, we have managed to squeeze in a few portrait sessions.  We’re working hard to prep those photos for future blogs posts.  Stay tuned, there are some pretty cute shots on the horizon, especially of an adorable newborn that we can’t wait to blog.

2) Since this is the off-season for engagements and weddings, Keith and I have spent several weeks making sample albums from our 2009 weddings.  This year marks the first full year we’re offering albums to our clients, and we’ve got some awesome options for both press-printed coffee table books and traditional leather ablums.

3) Keith and I love gadgets.  We especially love cheap gadgets.  And it’s even better when those cheap gadgets come from Hong Kong via eBay! About a month or two ago, Keith and I attended a local photographer get-together to hear a presentation by wedding photographer guru Mike Larson.  His presentation included a brief off-camera flash demonstration.  And what was his device of choice to trigger his flashes remotely? Cheap gadgets off eBay!—Yongnuo flash triggers.  We were sold on their ease of use, speed, and small size.  That night we ordered our own set and we’ve been hooked since.  Want a little sample? Check out this photo we took at local park one evening.  We had a lot of fun testing the flashes that night. I’m just glad the residents surrounding the park didn’t call the police on us.  We must have looked like quite the pair.

But that’s not all!  Because of the great response for the contest, our second and third place winners won’t go empty-handed—they each receive an 11″x14″ print of their winning photos.  Congrats to the Matsuo Family (15%, 50 votes) and April & Matt (13%, 40 votes)!

In last year’s contest, the cute O’Connell Family won the grand prize of a 16″x20″ canvas gallery wrap.  This year’s winner will be taking home an equally cool prize: a 4″x4″ leather flush-mount album featuring photos from their 2009 photo session.

And we’ve got a great group of clients—eight fabulous families and three cute couples—who wanted to participate in this year’s contest.  Each photo below was hand-selected by them as one of their favorites from their sessions with us in 2009.  We might be a little biased (they’re all winners in our books), so we need your help to pick the winning shot! Whether you’re a friend of the family or just stopping by our blog, we invite you to cast your official ballot.  And it’s easy to do!  Simply review all the pictures in this post and then select your favorite in the poll box below.

To make things easier we’ve included client names on each image (and listed them in alphabetical order), which correspond to the appropriate line on the poll. Whichever family or couple receives the most votes by 9 a.m. on Saturday, February 27, wins the leather album.

But there’s no winner without your vote! So cast your ballot today, and remind all your friends on Twitter and Facebook to do the same. And we’re sure our families and couples would love to hear your cheers. Feel free to leave comments below. We look forward to seeing the results!

These two looked great—and kept laughing and smiling—as they inched their way into the water.  

By this point in the afternoon, we started to lose light fast.  But it was worth it.  The reflections in the water were awesome.

And it made for a few priceless moments.

To Sarah and Daniel…thank you for being such a fun-loving couple and for being so willing to brave the water.  This is one session we’ll never forget.  And we’re sure it will inspire some other adventurous brides who are planning their big day, or a day-after session.

And they are talented, too!  We had brought along this awesome red guitar (thanks, Dad!) as a prop.  We had no idea that any of the couples we’d meet that day could actually play.  But Daniel provided some fabulous music as he strummed through the session.  Plus, the red added a nice punch to the photos.

Be sure to check out the slideshow for more images.  Enjoy!

We’re lucky to have such great clients as April and Matt, especially since they have a wonderful eye for detail. All their planning made for a spectacular day.  And these photos remind us what a great venue the Newland Barn is as a ceremony and reception site.  To the brides out there, be sure to check it out when thinking about possible wedding venues.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank these great wedding blogs for featuring photos from April and Matt’s big day: The Wedding Chicks, My DIY Wedding Day, Wedding Channel, LA Style Unveiled, and The Wedding Decorator. We hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Answer: You get gorgeous bridal photos of one of Orange County’s sweetest couples, Lisa and Jake.

Last Fall, Keith and I met up with a number of other local photographers for a special group photo session.  The group, organized by fellow photographer, Diandra Ann, had one goal in mind—to take awesome bridal portraits of couples who craved a few extra photos to round out their wedding albums.

As luck would have it, we were paired up with Lisa and Jake.  It was great to photograph these newlyweds at such a fun location—a remote trail area in Yorba Linda, CA that was full of trees, tall grass, a pond, and plenty of open space.  For the session, Lisa wore her original wedding gown, while Jake opted for a more relaxed look with a vest and slacks.  Their wardrobe selections were perfect—Lisa’s dress provided contrast to the location, while Jake’s earth-tone inspired outfit blended beautifully with the landscape.  And let’s not forget about the details.  All the brides were treated to hair, makeup, accessories, and fresh bouquets.  Much thanks to these vendors for their help in pulling together the brides’ polished looks:

Hair & Makeup: Diana Deiny

Hair & Makeup: Lindsay Flieshman

Hair Accessories: Lauren Christensen

Flowers: Angie Varela

And much thanks to Lisa and Jake!  We hope you enjoy the slideshow!

As their wedding photographers, we were quite pleased to discover lovely details throughout the ceremony and reception. We particularly liked the matching Raiders garter and cufflinks—his and hers tributes to their favorite team—as well as the solid choice of wedding colors (Raiders-inspired black and silver – what else?) and Kassie’s wonderful beaded wedding dress.

Congratulations to Kassie and Jason!  It’s hard to believe that your first anniversary is just around the corner.

• LA Style Unveiled included April and Matt’s big day as one of their featured “Real Weddings,” complete with a ton of detail photos and an interview with April.
• Wedding Channel featured several shots from the wedding as their site’s “Wedding of the Day.”

But the blogging didn’t end there.  Keith and I had the honor of writing a guest post for the Wedding Decorator to discuss the many details April and Matt included to create the unique look for their wedding.

If you have some time, hop over to check out these sites.  And if you’re a bride, you might find some great ideas for your own wedding.

For all those wonderful families who chose us to capture your important memories, thank you for allowing us to share your days. For our many frequent blog visitors, thanks for stopping by. In the coming days we plan to launch our belated year in review to relive some of our favorite moments of the year. And then… well, stay tuned for details about our annual contest for family portrait clients. You could be a winner!

We look forward to bigger and better things in the coming year, and we wish you all success in whatever you tackle this year. So get that new calendar up and get cracking on 2010!